Key fob
Some Teslas like the Model 3 or the Model Y don't come with a key fob. Instead, you get a key card that can be paired with your smartphone, so you can use it as your car key.
The key fob is proximity based. The car unlocks as you get closer, and it also has the ability of unlocking as you walk out (you can deactivate this if you prefer it).
Key fobs and key rings are available to be purchased separately if you prefer not to use your smartphone's Phone Key features. In case you need to purchase a Key replacement for your Tesla, you can order them at the Tesla Shop or at a Service Center.
Pictures of Tesla Key
Blog posts related to Key fob
How to add a driver's profile to my Tesla
Adding a driver profile is one of the first things you will need to do when you first set things up in your Tesla. Driver profiles are helpful for two main things. Keep reading to learn more.
Videos about Key fob
Past Tesletter articles
All Model X and Model S will soon work with no key if your phone pairs with Bluetooth
It seems like the actual key fob also uses Bluetooth since September 2016 (see Electrek’s post about this), so I assume both the S and the X have the appropriate antennas to power using the phone as the key.
Read more: Twitter
From issue #7Apple announces support for EV routing in Maps & new Car Key NFC unlock feature in iOS 14
Apple just announced a couple of interesting features for EV cars at the WWDC20, good to see Apple moving in this direction. The first one is support for EV routing in Apple Maps. The second one is Car Key, which will allow to wirelessly unlock your car with your iPhone and iWatch. The feature is part of the newly revealed iOS 14 and it will work over NFC. The advantage is that it would allow NFC car unlock up to 5 hours after your phone battery dies. Great backup to using Bluetooth as a primary key. No news about if Tesla is going to integrate with it or not, since they have their own system to use as your Tesla Key.
Read more: The Verge
From issue #117Dissolved a spare M3 key card in acetone and put its RFID chip and antenna in a small, generic key fob
Have you ever wanted to have a key fob instead of the key card for your Model 3? This Tesla owner transformed his key for about $10 (excluding the key cards).
Read more: Reddit
From issue #64How Tesla key cards actually work
[Nerd post alert] Have you ever asked yourself how the NFC cards for the Model 3 actually work? This Reddit user has reversed-engineered his Tesla NFC card and discovered a bunch of information about it. First and most importantly, these cards are pretty secure; the other finding that I think is interesting is that the author believes he can use the Tesla key card to authenticate in other devices, like building access.
Read more: Reddit
From issue #84Model 3 Key fob has been confirmed
Not sure if this is a popular decision or not (check out Electrek’s survey)… but it seems like key fob is finally coming for Model 3, as confirmed by Elon Musk on Twitter.
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Read more: Electrek
From issue #26Tesla Model 3 key fob available on Tesla Shop
You can purchase a key fob for your Model 3 for $150. Accoding to a few early reports the key fob doesn’t support summon or passive entry, it is unclear if it is because the car lacks the necessary components or if this will be something that they’ll activate via software later on. If these features are important to you, you probably are better off waiting.
Here is a video of the unboxing, paring, and demo of the Tesla Model 3 key fob.
See more: Tesla Shop
From issue #33Tesla ring key DIY
We’ve seen folks doing keychains and even implanting the RFID chip from their Model 3 keycard in their skin. This time this tutorial shows you how to make a ring that will lock and unlock your car.
Tesla starts rolling out Model 3 key fob to a few owners
A few weeks ago we talked about Electrek confirming the key fob for the M3. Well, now they’re reporting that a small number of users are getting them. Some people have reported problems using their phone as a key with several Android devices, and although Tesla has been taking care of these problems, the key fobs may be the so much needed solution.
Read more: Electrek
From issue #30Tesla updates Key Card access to no longer require placement on the center console to drive
All good things come in as software updates 🙂 It seems that in one of the newer releases the car doesn’t require you to put the key card on the center console to be able to turn it on. According to this article, the car has now a memory, around two minutes, and it allows you to turn on the car if you just unlocked it. Convenient!
From issue #179
